Potato-picker



(No Model.)

J. P. WYNKOOP.

POTATO PIGKER.

PatentedJuly 7, 189.1.

lllz iuess es', 4%. 2324.

UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JEHIEL F. IVYNKOOP, OF CORSIOA, PENNSYLVANIA.

POTATO-PI'CKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 455,557, dated July 7,1891.

' Application filed October 17, 1890. Serial No. 368.477. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: Y

Be it known that. I, J EHIEL F. WYNKooP, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Corsica, in the county of J eflerson and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Potato- .picker; Fig. 2, a similar back view of the same. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the same on line 1 of Fig. 1. Fig.4 is a plan view representing a blank of sheet metal from which the picker is pressed or stamped, and Fig. 5 is a View representing the picker in use.

This invention relates to certain improvements inan implement for picking vegetables, preferably potatoes, oif the ground, sifting them to free the dirt therefrom, and assortin g and depositing them into a receptacle, and is so constructed that a person using it may stand erect and therefore labor with greater ease than one assuming a stooping posture, which improvements are fully set forth and explained in the following specification and claim. p Referring to the drawings, P represents the picker, and D the handle thereof.

a represents the picker-fingers, which are made tapering from their inner to their outer end, and are so formed by being pressed or stamped that they are hollowed at their under side, rounded at their upper side, and rounded to present asmooth blunt terminal, as shown, and thus by such tapered form the intervening spaces are widest at their outer part.

c 0 represent the side portions of the picker, which are broadened, upturned, and curved in such manner that when the implement ,is turned sidewise they will form a trough adjacent either side of the fingers, as shown.

(1 represents the rear broadened portion of the picker, which is upturned, presenting a rear guard, and has formed integral therewith the handle-socket e, and the handle D is fixed into the socket ein such manner that a person standing erect may grasp the same and hold the picker upon the ground into position for use and use it without stooping, and there fore a person may labor withgreater ease than one assuming a stooping posture.

In the construction of the picker the blank A is'taken and stamped or pressed by means of dies suitably formed to form the picker, as described, and thus but a single piece of metal is used in its construction.

In use a person takes the handle D in his hands,'moves the picker along the surface of the ground in such manner that the fingers a will reach under and gather the potatoes in the path of the picker, and when a sufficient number or quantity has been gathered into the pickerit is raised, and by a few side move ments or partial turns the dirt gathered with or adhering to the potatoes will be practically sifted therefrom, and should it be desired to assort the potatoes the picker is held so that they will roll out thereon near the terminal of the fingers, when the small ones will fall between the fingers and from the picker, leaving the larger ones in the picker, when the picker is then turned sidcwise, which will cause the potatoes to roll into the side trough thereof, from whence by tilting the picker they roll or slide off into a receptacle for the purpose. When it is not desired to assort the potatoes they are not permitted to move out too far on the fingers while sifting.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

The herein-described potato-picker, consisting of the tapered fingers a, hollowed at their under side and rounded at their upper side and terminals, the upturned curved side portions 0 c and the rear upturned socketed portion (1 e stamped or pressed into form from a single sheet of metal, and of the handle D, fixed into the socket thereof, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JEHIEL F. VVYNKOOR Witnesses:

N. B. HAGIN, WM. J. HUTCHINS. 

